This trip exceeded my expectation to say the least... And that is saying alot for here because it seems that just the daily routines of a foreign land are always interesting each day ... So many interesting things happened along these 3 days and almost all were motorcycle related ... To include sitting across from the Philippines factory(?) ktm team and the Philippines 14 time champ, Glenn Aguilar (rides their 350 currently) ... Then I talked to the team manager and asked about the word on a Husky racing team and he said "What?" :0) ... These guys here all have a good attitude ... I got the Husqvarna name planted now and I'll ask again at the next race ... This was all really weird ... I hope to get Glenn to look at my 010 TC250 bike maybe also ... You know, we are bike family now .... Plus the race organizers picked up the tab for the gas, food, 2 nights lodging, boat rides 2x ways ... Including a very nice catered dinner after the first day of qualifying ... I told one of the honchos there I was thinking of becoming more of a racer guy than a trail rider now ... Here's some pics of the ride over Friday before the race Saturday morning ... I wanted to get some well needed practice but arrived too late in the day ... This track was another sx type track with pretty good dirt but very dry and dusty and few rocks ... Out of all the jumps there, 3-4 I could have doubled but with no practice, I just drop into them ... Lauching port in Tabuelan Cebu ... Cargo port and 24x7 service ... $27 after all fees per my truck and bikes They stuff the boat first with the large trucks with commodities and then squeeze a few 4 wheelers on last ... Thats my truck(small white dot) in the left row at the very front and Negros in the distance ... Negros landing with some green play ...
Our hotel ... The GO Hotel and it was pretty nice ... And I think the rates are good and if you ever are here and see this place, it would be worth stopping at and staying... And for some reason, the parking was full of not only dirt bikes for the race but many big street bikes and bmw DS machines ... The 650 and 800 GS models ... And a Ducati or two ... The GS riders loved their bikes and I gotta say, these bikes looked much better than the pics including the birdbeak front fenders ... One guy had a super lowered 650 bike ...
Track pics ... Starting gate with long wide starting ... I was on the extreme inside and outsides in my 2 races .. The crew heading out ...
I'll post the race day pics in the racing area shortly .. Here is the start of the ride back home after dark .... Cebu The Home 20 ....
These are very tough small trucks (called multi-cabs here) that have different beds and looks but the same underneath ... They are almost all Suzuki and surplus stuff sent over from japan here in parts and re-assembled ... Fit in well here but very small ... That one is gonna get painted and sold shortly I hope ... Too small and in bad shape .... All this driving to races was not in the original plan for living here.... The issue is I'm not sure what I can replace it with that is larger but still low cost to own and maintain ... Might just upgrade to a newer model and get a trailer for the bikes ...
My wife's family has a couple multi-cabs set up as taxis back in the PI. Wish they were street legal here.
The muli-cabs are about essential here ... They do tons of all different types work ... Multi-cabs as taxis are a big deal here on Cebu ... The much bigger and heavier jeepney is not so present ...Public transportation in general is a big deal here ... There would much much walking with the muli-cab or 10x the hable2x bikes will be needed ... Their 3 cyl engine is tough as nails ... I've ran mine so low of water before that I think it went from water-cooled to air-cooled and kept going ..and a couple times it had almost no oil in the engine also ... with a bad head gasket ... Buy parts on the street corner almost and mechanics can work on them blindfolded ... No real power unless in granny-low in 4x4 drive ... But very good on gas ... You can push start them almost by your self they are so light even with that metal frame .. -- So where is your wife's family at over here?
There is a race scheduled for Davao City in August ... We're gonna try and make it to most of these races if possible and this is a good way to see the islands with the provided budgets ... But this place might be a little too far south for me ...
Once you are there it is safe, but traveling there other than by air you have to go through some places where an American is not very safe.
That is a very big island there also ... Be lots of miles to travel across land ...Riding a ferry to the south side and landing there might be an option. This would be a long float also ... I'll see what the local riders here say about how they travel ...But under any circumstances, if I go to that island, even the northern part, it'll be 100% with my rider friends ...
The racing stuff is here from this event... http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/3r...-bacolod-negros-occidental.31940/#post-296881
Its my life here and I try to keep all the distractions (adventure stuff) out of focus so I can concentrate on the racing but I am still taken in by the show I think and actual race might be in the back seat ... I'd really like a top 5 finish at one of these races but not sure that is gonna happen .. Still hoping to arrive a couple days early to the next race and get in a day or 2 of practice ...
